2018 State of the Industry Breakfasthttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2643&blogid=171
Over 300 attendees crowded the Post Oak Hilton Hotel on January 24th to listen to panelists ]]>2018-01-24T16:03:30ZOver 300 attendees crowded the Post Oak Hilton Hotel on January 24th to listen to panelists pontificate on market conditions and industry trends expected in 2018. Panelists included:

Stacy Hunt, Moderator, Greystar

Ric Campo, Camden

Cyrus Bahrami, Alliance Residential

John Boriack, Veritas Equity Management

Patrick Jankowski, Greater Houston Partnership

Bruce McClenny, Apartment Data.com

You can view and download the slides from the presentation via this link here

]]>Texas Regulatory Waivers and Suspensions Related to Hurricane Harvey Affecting the Apartment Industryhttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2626&blogid=171
The list below contains some of the major waivers and suspensions of Texas laws and regulations that might affect the apartment industry, as well as some resources and guidance for apartment communities affected by Hurricane Harvey.]]>2017-12-01T15:48:36ZThe list below contains some of the major waivers and
suspensions of Texas laws and regulations that might affect the apartment
industry, as well as some resources and guidance for apartment communities
affected by Hurricane Harvey. The list
is not exhaustive, due to the fact that many waivers and suspensions that have
been granted were not provided in writing or were granted on an individual
case-by-case basis. Please use this as a guide only. Before relying on any
particular waiver or suspension, the proclamation or order granting the waiver
or suspension should be reviewed.

Proclamations from the Office of the
Texas Governor

Harris and surrounding counties have been declared a disaster
area due to damage caused by Hurricane Harvey.
The declaration of disaster allows the suspension of regulations that
would in any way prevent, hinder or delay necessary action in coping with the
disaster upon written approval of the Governor’s office. The disaster declaration was extended for
another 30 days on November 19, 2017.

The attorney general has been instructed to investigate and
prosecute claims of price gouging related to the Hurricane Harvey relief
effort. Suspected price gouging on the
part of vendors helping with remediation efforts should be reported to the
Office of the Attorney General.

It was ordered that all courts in Texas should consider
disaster-caused delays as good cause for modifying or suspending all deadlines
and procedures—whether prescribed by statute, rule, or order—in any case, civil
or criminal. This was extended for all justice
court matters through November 25, 2017.
Although the extended deadline has passed, the waiver may still impact
pending cases to the extent a rule was not followed prior to November 25, 2017.

Statutes of limitations were temporarily suspended, provided
that any failure to comply with an applicable limitations period was caused by
Hurricane Harvey. The suspension ended
on September 28, 2017. Although the
extended deadline is passed, the suspension may still impact pending cases.

Mold remediation and assessment regulations have been
suspended and altered to facilitate repair efforts related to Hurricane
Harvey. The requirement that a mold
remediation project have an assessment is waived for the duration of the
governor’s disaster declaration.
Additionally, licensure requirements for out-of-state mold remediation
companies have been waived, although they must register with the TDLR. Mold remediation project notifications are
also voluntary for the pendency of the disaster declaration.

Reciprocal license applications have been fast-tracked so
that electricians wanting to assist with the Harvey recovery efforts may
quickly coordinate with Texas Electrical Contractors and begin performing
electrical work in Texas.

]]>Fire Extinguisher Recallhttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2624&blogid=171
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has ordered the recall of 134 models of Kidde fire extinguishers manufactured between January 1, 1973 and August 15, 2017, including models that were previously recalled in March 2009 and February 2015. ]]>2017-11-08T07:28:05ZFor units produced in 2007 and beyond, the date of manufacture is a 10-digit date code printed on the side of the cylinder, near the bottom. Digits five through nine represent the day and year of manufacture in DDDYY format. Date codes for recalled models manufactured from January 2, 2012 through August 15, 2017 are 00212 through 22717. For units produced before 2007, a date code is not printed on the fire extinguisher.

Information from Kidde: https://inmarmarketaction.com/kidde/Kidde284US/]]>Hurricane Harvey: The Aftermathhttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2614&blogid=171
As Houston apartment professionals and owners work through the devastation of Harvey, many are asking a number of questions. Here are your answers.]]>2017-08-31T16:06:47Z

Hurricane Harvey: The
Aftermath

By: Howard M. Bookstaff,
General Counsel

As Houston apartment professionals and
owners work through the devastation of Harvey, many are asking a number of
questions. Here are your answers.

Many
communities in and around Houston suffered damages from the effects of
Hurricane Harvey. Many lost power and numerous properties suffered substantial water
damage. Roads turned into rivers. Cars were replaced with boats. Transistor
radios replaced TVs.

As
we work to recover from the devastation, apartment owners and managers have a
number of questions with respect to various owner/resident issues. Here are
some of the commonly asked questions, and some guidance with respect to the
answers. Please note that the answers to these questions presume the resident
has signed a standard TAA Apartment Lease Contract. If another lease is being
used, the lease should be reviewed to determine whether the answers given
should be modified.

1. If my property
has substantial damage, do I have the right to terminate leases?

Yes. Section 26.5 of the lease states that if the
owner believes that catastrophic damage is substantial or that performance of
needed repairs poses a danger to the resident, the owner may terminate the
lease by giving at least five (5) days written notice.

2. If I terminate
leases, do I have to refund rent and security deposits?

Yes. Section 26.5 of the lease also states that if the
lease is terminated, the owner will refund prorated rent and all deposits, less
lawful deductions. The amount of
prorated rent refunded will depend on the date the lease is terminated. Since
the property would have been substantially damaged, chances are that most, if
not all, of the security deposit should be refunded.

3. If the owner
does not believe that the damage warrants the termination of the lease, does
the resident still have the right to terminate the lease?

Possibly. Pursuant to Section 92.054(b) of the Texas
Property Code, if after a casualty loss the rental premises are as a practical
matter totally unusable for residential purposes, either the owner or the
resident may terminate the lease by giving written notice to the other any time
before repairs are completed. If the lease is terminated, the resident is
entitled to a pro rata refund of rent from the date the resident moves out and
to a refund of any security deposit otherwise required by law.

Of course, the question is whether the loss rendered
the rental premises “totally unusable for residential purposes.” This will
depend upon a number of factors, including the type of damage, how long repairs
will take, and whether someone can live in the unit while repairs are being made.
If you have damage that will take a couple of days to repair, the argument that
the unit was totally unusable for residential purposes would probably not carry
much weight. If, however, the unit cannot be lived in for a period of weeks,
the resident might have a better argument that the unit is totally unusable for
residential purposes.

4. If the unit is
partially unusable, is the resident entitled to a rent abatement?

Probably not. Section 26.4 of the lease states that
the owner will act with customary diligence to make repairs and reconnections,
taking into consideration when casualty-insurance proceeds are received and
that “rent will not abate in whole or in part.”

Section 92.054(c) of the Texas Property Code
states that if after a casualty loss the rental premises are partially unusable
for residential purposes, the resident is entitled to reduction in rent in an
amount proportionate to the extent the premises are unusable because of the
casualty, but only on judgment of a county or district court. This
section also states that an owner and resident may agree otherwise in a written
lease.

Based on the language of the lease, rent will not
abate in whole or in part. Since the
statute allows an owner and resident to agree on this issue in the lease, the
lease should prevail. Furthermore, even under the statute, if a resident is
seeking a reduction in rent, the resident would only be entitled to a reduction
if the resident proceeded to court and obtained a judgment allowing the
reduction.

5. Can a resident
terminate the lease only because the community lost power?

No. Although an argument might be made that the
resident would have the right to terminate the lease if the loss of power
rendered the unit “totally unusable for residential purposes,”
Section 92.052(c) of the Texas Property Code provides that this subchapter
(the subchapter that includes the resident’s right to terminate the lease after
a casualty loss if the unit is totally unusable for residential purposes) does
not require an owner to furnish utilities from a utility company if as a
practical matter the utility lines of the company are not reasonably
available.

6. If my community
is up and running and I want to offer leases to residents displaced from other
properties, how much rent can I charge?

Owners can’t “price gouge.” The Deceptive Trade
Practices-Consumer Protection Act provides it is unlawful to take advantage of
a disaster by selling or leasing fuel, food, medicine, or another necessity at
an exorbitant or excessive price or demanding an exorbitant or excessive price
in connection with the sale or lease of fuel, food, medicine, or another
necessity.

7. How long do I
have to make repairs?

There is not a clear answer to this question. Section
92.056(b) of the Texas Property Code provides that an owner is liable to a
resident for failing to repair or remedy a condition if: (i) the resident has
given the owner notice to repair a remedy the condition; (ii) the condition
materially affects the physical health or safety of an ordinary resident; (iii)
the resident has given the owner a subsequent written notice to repair or remedy
the condition after a reasonable time following the resident’s first notice
(unless the resident gave the first notice by certified or registered mail); (iv)
the owner has had a reasonable time to repair or remedy the condition after the
owner receives the resident’s notices; (v) the owner has not made a diligent
effort to repair or remedy the condition after receiving the resident’s
notices; and (vi) the resident was not delinquent in the payment of rent at the
time any notice required by this subsection was given.

In determining whether a period of time is a
reasonable time to repair or remedy a condition, there is a rebuttable
presumption that seven (7) days is a reasonable time. To rebut the presumption,
the date on which the owner received the resident’s notice, the severity and
nature of the condition and the reasonable availability of materials and labor
and of utilities from a utility company must be considered.

Section
92.054(a) provides that if a condition results for an insured casualty loss,
the period for repair does not begin until the owner receives the insurance
proceeds. As indicated above Section 26.4 of the lease provides that the owner will
act with customary diligence to make repairs and reconnections, taking into
consideration when casualty-insurance proceeds are received.

Based
upon these statutory and lease provisions, it would appear to be reasonable for
an owner to have at least seven (7) days to make repairs after the storm.
However, the law allows an owner additional time if the failure to make repairs
is due to the severity and nature of the condition or the unavailability of
materials, labor or utilities. Therefore, the answer will depend on whether
there are sufficient insurance proceeds to pay the cost of repairs, the
circumstances relating to the extent of the damage and what the owner needs to
do in order to make proper repairs. Of course, if you are electing to terminate
leases, time to repair is more or less irrelevant.

8. Are
there any restrictions to transferring residents to other units?

Yes.
Pursuant to Section 92.062 of the Texas Property Code, if a rental premise is,
as a practical matter, totally unusable for residential purposes as a result of
a natural disaster, an owner that allows a resident to move to another rental
unit owned by the owner may not require the resident to execute a lease for a
term longer than the term remaining on the resident’s lease on the date the
premises was rendered unusable as a result of the natural disaster.

This law would prevent you from requiring a resident
who has two months left on the lease (pre-Harvey) to sign a new 12-month lease
if the resident is transferring as a result of Harvey. The law does not prevent
an owner from leasing for a longer term if the longer term is not required.
However, there may be an issue proving that a longer term was not required. One
approach might be to transfer the resident and have the resident sign a new
lease for the same term as the resident’s old lease, but then have the resident
sign a longer term after the resident has transferred. Of course, this would
have to be with the agreement of both parties that sign the new lease and the
longer term could not have been a condition of the resident’s ability to
transfer for the remainder of the existing term.

Hopefully
we have answered some of the questions you may have. Obviously, in this
environment, there may be additional issues you may need to consider with any
situation. Let’s all hope the recovery
process will go smoothly and we can look forward to getting back to a sense of
normalcy.

]]>Honors Awards Program 2017https://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2591&blogid=171
Congratulations to all Honors winners and nominees.]]>2017-06-23T11:11:32Z

Being nominated for an HAA Honors Awards category is a great
honor and we want everyone who was nominated to have a piece of memorabilia of
that evening.

If you or your property was nominated for an award, please feel
free to download a PDF of the program as a keepsake.

]]>Free Summer Meals for your Property's Youths, Delivered Dailyhttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2575&blogid=171
The Texas Hunger Initiative (THI) can help you determine if free
summer meals are a good fit for your community.]]>2017-05-11T14:39:13Z

The Texas Hunger Initiative (THI) can help you determine if free
summer meals are a good fit for your community. In partnership with the Texas
Department of Agriculture, THI is working to feed more children and teens throughout
the summer months by connecting sites where youth are with community sponsors.Utilizing USDA funds, community sponsors
provide meals, at no cost, to local sites.Sites can be found at schools, community centers, parks, libraries and in
apartment communities.

There is no direct cost to the apartment community. Basic requirements to participate include a short
training, having a safe space for the youth to eat and having an adult (staff
or volunteer) responsible for accepting the meals and tracking the number of
meals served.

THI is available to answer your questions and help you connect with
the appropriate sponsor. If you have
concerns about site limitations for this program, please let us know, as we may
be able to work around your limitation or concern. For more information,
contact the Texas Hunger Initiative’s Houston team:

]]>New Smoke Alarm Requirementhttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2529&blogid=171
Starting this month, any time you replace a single-station smoke alarm in the city limits of Houston, you need to replace it with the new sealed, tamper-resistant type with the long-life lithium battery.]]>2017-01-09T16:01:21ZDo you have an apartment property old enough to have "single-station" smoke alarms? Those are the 9-volt battery kind that aren't hard wired or interconnected. Anything built before the late 1980s is likely to have these.

Starting this month, any time you replace a single-station smoke alarm in the city limits of Houston, you need to replace it with the new sealed, tamper-resistant type with the long-life lithium battery.

This Houston Fire Code change was adopted by the city earlier this year. HAA fought to make sure the new requirement only applies when a smoke alarm gets broken, stolen or otherwise needs to be replaced. There's no deadline to replace existing 9-volt battery smoke alarms as long as they continue to work properly.

Yes, these cost more (they retail for around $15, rather than around $7 for the 9-volt battery kind), but they have some advantages. How many times have your residents taken the batteries out of your smoke alarms - either to shut them up after a cooking mishap or because they wanted the battery for something else? The new alarms are sealed and tamper-resistant. The internal battery won't fit any other device, even if they destroy the unit to remove it. If the device activates, there's a "hush" button to silence it - and it resets automatically after a few minutes. That means fewer disabled smoke alarms and better protection for lives and property. Many leases make residents responsible for batteries once the lease begins, but think how much your property spends on 9-volt batteries for make-readies. Tamper resistant alarms are generally warrantied to last at least 10 years.

Call HAA's Public Affairs Department at 713 595-0303 if you have any questions about the new requirement.

]]>Corral the Grease This Thanksgivinghttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2518&blogid=171
2016-11-22T17:15:46ZThanksgiving dishes are typically high in fats, oils and
greases, also known as FOG, and what have we learned this year? That’s right,
we must coral the grease. FOG is harmful to our pipes and can cause unsanitary and smelly sewage blockages and overflows. So make sure this Thanksgiving holiday to encourage your residents to collect any fat, oil or grease into a separate but sealed container.

Be sure to remind your residents: Do not use garbage disposals to get rid of your FOG. Running hot tap water will not float the FOG safely down the pipe – it will cool and harden as it travels causing a major buildup.

Residents can use practically anything as a container including tin cans, mason jars, jam jars and solo cups lined with tin foil. To make it easier on your residents, and your pipes, the City of Houston’s Corral the Grease provide universally fitting lids free of charge via https://services.publicworks.houstontx.gov/ctg/order-form or
by contacting Bill Goloby at 832-395-4965 or at bill.goloby@houstontc.gov.

Then, encourage them to dispose of their sealed container of
grease with their regular trash or recycle. Use this link https://www.publicworks.houstontx.gov/pud/oil-ops.html
to find information on where you can recycle your used cooking oil. Please feel
free to include those locations in any information you may provide your
residents in reference to FOG collection.

EbioSol is a Houston-based recycling company that recycles FOG into a biofuel. EbioSol partnered with Woodway Square Apartments in 2014 and after two years the property felt a 50 percent
reduction in plumbing costs and related service requests. Visit their website
to learn more about their program and its benefits via www.ebiosol.com.

Property owners who are interested in a business partnership
may contact Fabian Wolff at fwolff@ebiosol.com
or 713-540-8459.

With 2016 winding down, plans for 2017 are gearing up. Join us at the HAA Annual Business Meeting this Thursday, located at Sugar Land Marriott Town Square, to help us celebrate a great year coming to an end and plan for another successful year. Please bring your canned goods and donations for Apartment Angels.

The holidays are coming! Yes, it’s that time of year again when
the mornings are cooler and the days are shorter. Thanksgiving is around the
corner and before we know it, December will be here. For many of us, our
thoughts turn to charity, and we hope that you consider ACAM (Alliance of
Community Assistance Ministries) this year.

HAA values the opportunity to fulfill our community outreach mission of providing support to projects that serve renters by working with ACAM during the holidays to help
their network of ministries create a cheerful, warm holiday season for their Apartment Angels.

As the holidays approach, we hope you consider these ministries.
Below is a list of items that these ministries are in need of. You can drop off
donations to our office located at 4810 Westway Park Blvd. You may also bring your donated items to the upcoming HAA Annual Business Meeting on Thursday, November 17 at the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

We are accepting
donations all the way up to December 1. Our wonderful volunteers will then
transport the donations to their designated ministry. Big thank you to our
volunteers: Erin
Mungovan with Brook Furniture Rental; Jacob Kunath with Century A/C; Arrie Colca with Craven Carpet; Karah
Carillo, Kathy Clem, William Lewis Green and Jessica Wheeler with Greystar; Dixie Caldwell-Greer
with Liberty Staffing & Executive Search; Kristen Bredehoeft and Marlo Simmons with RentPath; Melissa
DeFlora with Texas Quality Water; Marivel Bownds with Valet Waste; Maritza Reyeswith Westchase Estates and Andrea Garcia with Wood
Residential Services.

List of Items:

NOTE: Gift cards are the most needed; gifts typically fall
short for our teens 13 to 17 years old and please donate toys for girls or boys
ages one through 10.

]]>Deck the Hallshttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2500&blogid=171
Deck the Halls is a holiday charity event in which a nominated family gets their apartment home decorated for the holidays. Help us keep Lisa Purdy's legacy going by nominating a less fortunate family or through donations.

]]>2016-10-07T10:12:28Z

Even though the holidays are supposed to be a time of joy
and celebration, for many families who aren’t as fortunate it can be a tough
time. The holidays present an abundance of expectations that are overwhelming
and stressful for families who cannot afford to deck their homes with holiday cheer.

Deck the Halls is a holiday charity event in which a
nominated family gets their apartment home decorated for the holidays. Decorations include a fully decorated Christmas tree, a
wreath for the door, their dining table being decorated with all the trimmings,
gifts under the tree and even a holiday dinner.

Lisa Purdy, who recently passed away, started this event
years ago. As a longtime interior designer who worked a great deal catering to
the multifamily industry, Lisa was inspired to start this group as a way to
give back to the community that provided her with a successful career.

In loving memory of Lisa, we’re asking our members to help
keep Lisa’s legacy going. Our apartment professionals are face-to-face with
families who deserve a holiday treat such as this. If you know of one on
property, please nominate them, including why you feel they deserve to have
their apartment home “decked” for the holidays. You can submit nominations to Tanya
Ahmann-Yates at Tahmann-yates@kingsiii.com
or 281-804-7884.

Entry deadline is Nov. 28, and on the following day Nov. 29,
the winner will be announced. Purdy’s Angels will decorate the winning family’s
apartment on Dec. 9 and they will provide the holiday dinner on Christmas Day.

]]>US Dept of Labor New Overtime Rulehttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2480&blogid=171
NAA NMHC have released guidance (link posted below, login required) for the apartment housing industry on the Labor Department's overtime rule. Prepared by Jennifer Redmond and Brian Fond from the law firm of Sheppard Mullin, the]]>2016-08-04T10:38:32Z

Provided by the National Apartment Association

NAA/NMHC have released guidance (link posted below, login required) for the apartment housing industry on the Labor Department's overtime rule.

Prepared by Jennifer Redmond and Brian Fond from the law firm of Sheppard Mullin, the guidance describes the rule in detail and provides issues for owners, operators and developers of apartment housing to consider as they seek to comply with the new rule. Effective Dec. 1, the rule lifts the overtime pay threshold from $23,660 to $47,476 and is expected to impact 4.2 million executive, administrative and professional employees who are paid by the hour or earn less than the new threshold.

The overtime rule would harm the ability of apartment housing employers to implement, and their impacted employees (including property managers at traditional apartment and student housing developments) to take advantage of flexible scheduling options. In addition, it would limit career advancement opportunities for employees. The rule also goes far beyond the apartment housing industry and has the potential to affect employees at colleges and universities who serve student housing residents.

NAA/NMHC strongly oppose the overtime rule and are supporting all avenues that would either repeal or limit the rule. On July 14, immediately before adjourning for the summer recess, the House Appropriations Committee passed funding legislation that would prevent the Obama Administration from implementing the overtime rule.

In addition to Appropriations Committee action, Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) introduced the Overtime Reform and Enhancement Act TRACKCUSTLINKZon July 14. This legislation would require the Labor Department to phase-in the overtime pay threshold over three years so that it would be fully effective beginning Dec. 1, 2019. It would also eliminate automatic adjustments to the pay threshold. NAA/NMHC sent a letter to Representative Schrader endorsing the measure.

Currently, the outlook for overturning the overtime rule is uncertain. On the appropriations front, many observers believe that Congress will be forced to pass a short-term spending bill in September to fund the government until after the election. This could leave decisions on the overtime rule for the end of the year or the next Administration. Representative Schrader’s bill may emerge as a viable compromise on the overtime rule if it is able to attract Republican support in both the House and Senate.

]]>Pool Safety: Water Wise Program 2016https://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2472&blogid=171
Fun, sun and safety HAA’s 2016 Water Wise Program By Sidney Phillips, HAA Intern Many Houstonians will be grabbing their bathing suits and sunscreen to the beach, lake or local swimming pool this summer. However, a fun day in the]]>2016-07-01T13:51:12ZFun, sun and safety: HAA’s 2016 Water Wise Program

By Sidney Phillips, HAA Intern

Many Houstonians will be grabbing their
bathing suits and sunscreen to the beach, lake or local swimming pool this
summer. However, a fun day in the water can turn into an absolute tragedy for
many parents of young children.

Drowning rates typically increase around
Independence Day weekend. So before children begin jumping or cannonballing
into community pools, it’s important that apartment owners, apartment managers
and parents stay vigilant and educate children on proper pool safety.

According to the Center for Disease
Control, unintentional drowning claims the lives of an estimated 3.882 people
each year in the United States, averaging 10 deaths per day. Young children are at the greatest risk
of drowning, as it remains the second leading cause of death among ages 1-14
years old. Not to mention, for
every one child that dies from drowning, another five require emergency room
care.

In Texas, 51 children have already drowned
this year with 11 fatalities in the Greater Houston Area alone. To combat the threat of drowning
accidents, the Houston Apartment Association has maintained a 10 year partnership
with the YMCA to create the Water Wise Program. The initiative provides free swimming lessons to children in
participating Houston area apartments, and works to educate parents of proper
safety precautions.

Thanks to the generosity of member
communities, over the past nine years, the program has taught swimming lessons
to over 9,000 children, free of charge.
This year HAA hopes to reach another 1,000 kids, across 80 different
locations.

Children should always be within an
arm’s distance of a supervising adult in the water.

Assign an adult as “water watcher” –
the person committed to supervising the pool area.

Paddling pools are just as dangerous –
a single inch of water covering a child’s mouth and nose can cause drowning.

Enroll children in swim lessons.

Learn CPR.

Always secure access to swimming pools.
All apartment pools have fences and self-closing and latching gates preventing
children from entering the pool area unattended – notify management immediately
if they are not in a working order.

Learn how to use the safety devices –
all apartment pools are equipped devices intended to prevent death or injury.
These items include drain covers, a shepherd’s hook and a reaching pole, a
throwing rope and a ring buoy. If any of these devices are missing or in
disrepair, please notify management immediately.

Be a good neighbor, if you see any
unattended children at the community pool, urge them to leave the pool area and
report the incident to the manager immediately.

]]>Corral the Grease and Multifamily Cooking Oil Collection & Recycling Programhttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2471&blogid=171
It may be surprising to learn that common kitchen items, such as cooking oil, butter, meat and even salad dressing can wreak extensive financial and environmental damage on our communities. Commonly used cooking items including fats, oils and grease (FOG)]]>2016-06-30T10:34:19ZBy: Sidney Phillips, HAA Intern

It may be surprising to learn that
common kitchen items, such as cooking oil, butter, meat and even salad dressing
can wreak extensive financial and environmental damage on our communities.

Commonly used cooking items including fats, oils and grease
(FOG) are the elusive culprits of clogged pipes, sewage spills and other
harmful environmental issues, and they pose a serious threat to the City of
Houston. When FOG is dumped down kitchen sinks these items solidify forming
large greasy globs that block the free flow of wastewater to treatment plants,
and eventually cause waste to seep out of pipes. Raw sewage then spills into streets, homes, apartments and neighborhoods,
ultimately polluting our City’s bayous and Galveston Bay.

FOG buildup most commonly occurs in
densely populated areas where there is frequent food handling. While commercial establishments, such
as restaurants, cafeterias and public kitchens, are required by City ordinance
to use periodically cleaned grease traps, residents of apartment communities,
where the problem is especially rampant, are not.

The consequences of FOG buildup in
multifamily communities damage apartment properties and the local sewage
system. As the cleanup of sewage
leaks and clogged pipes due to FOG can be incredibly expensive, both apartment owners
and Houston face a heavy financial burden. Therefore, it is extremely important apartment owners and
managers educate their residents on proper ways to dispose of FOG.

Through the Corral the Grease program, apartment owners can provide universally-fitted, sealed lids for residents to safely dispose of their FOG. The lids are provided free of charge to apartment communities and residents by the City of Houston. Enhanced Biofuels, a partner of Corral the Grease, will even provide disposal bins for your property so residents can walk their FOG containers down when they take their trash or recycling out. Contact Bill Goloby with Corral the Grease Program, City of Houston Wastewater Operations at 832-395-4964 or bill.goloby@houstontx.gov for more information.

Apartment managers and owners interested in partnership opportunities for the Multifamily Cooking Oil Collection and Recycling Program can contact Fabian Wolff with Enhanced Biofuels at 713-540-8459 or fwolff@enhancedbiofuels.com.

The City of Houston Corral the Grease Program also provides free of charge children's educational coloring books and refrigerator magnets which are very popular with the residents at Woodway Square Apartments.

Residents can prevent FOG blockages by following these
guidelines:

Throw food scraps from meats,
dairy products or sauces in the trash. Avoid using the garbage disposal.

]]>All-Stars Sports Challenge Scores 2016https://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2470&blogid=171
A total of 46 teams competed in the 2016 All Stars Sports Challenge. We were able to raise $25,000 for the Red Cross benefiting flood victims. We couldn't have done it without everyone who participated. Sponsored by AAA Plumbers, Apple]]>2016-06-15T10:38:52ZA total of 46 teams competed in the 2016 All-Stars Sports Challenge. We were able to raise $25,000 for the Red Cross benefiting flood victims. We couldn't have done it without everyone who participated.

]]>HAA Honors Winnershttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2468&blogid=171
What a spectacular evening we had last night. We would like to thank our wonderful hosts HAA President Alison Hall and industry speaker Kate Good. The energy in the room last night at the Hilton Americas was palpable. Congratulations again]]>2016-06-09T11:10:01ZWhat a spectacular evening we had last night. We would like
to thank our wonderful hosts HAA President Alison Hall and industry speaker
Kate Good. The energy in the room last night at the Hilton Americas was
palpable. We had a turn out of roughly 1,100 guests - the biggest sit-down dinner held by HAA to date. Congratulations again to our 2016 HAA Honors winners.

We would like to give another special thank you to our sponsors for making last night possible:

]]>HAA Honors Awardshttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2467&blogid=171
The Houston Apartment Association celebrates superior
performance and excellence in the multifamily industry with our annual
Honors Awards. Our stellar event last night had over 1100 professionals
attending. Congratulations to all the nominees and the winners! ]]>2016-06-06T16:26:27ZThe Houston Apartment Association celebrates superior
performance and excellence in the multifamily industry with our annual Honors Awards. Our stellar event last night had over 1100 professionals attending. Congratulations to all the nominees and the winners!

The winner in each category is in red.

Owner and/or
Management Executive

Julie Batche with Martin Fein Interests

Kevin Bell with ComCapp

Rob Finney with ComCapp

Diane Gilbert with Asset Plus Corp

Stephanie Graves, CAM, CAPS with Q10 Property Advisors

Curtis Haines with Vende Capital

Carolyn Howard with Advantage Property Management

Robert Lopes, CAM, CAPS, NALP with Relik Realty

Kelly Scott, CAPS with Alliance Residential

Natalie Spratt, NALP, CAM with Scenic Property Group

Starla Turnbo with SMI Realty

Shelley Zepeda, CAPS with Francis Property Management

Independent Rental
Owner

Phillip Basarabescu
with Atlas Equity Management

Mark Daronch with Linebacker Equity Management

Teri Daronch, CAM with Linebacker Equity Management

Jake Leatham, CAM, IROP with Linebacker Equity Management

Robert
Martinez, IROP with Rockstar Capital Management

Kim McLean, CAM with MPM Property Management

John Ridgway with Celtic Realty Advisors

Kylie Schischka, CAM, IROP with Star Pacific

Portfolio Supervisor

Jaqueline Aguirre, CAM with Veritas Equity Management

Ginger Bernstein
with Q10 Property Advisors

Chad Christian, NALP, CAM, CAPS with Pinnacle Property
Management

John Dang, CAM, CAPS with Rockstar Capital Management

Manda Gifford with Judwin Properties

Jana Gragg, CAM with Landmark Companies

Tomika Harris, CAPS with Vesta Management Services

Marcy Holmes,
CAPS with Mosaic Residential

Crystal Jackson, CAM, CAPS with Gaia Real Estate

Leslie Jaimes with Integrated Property Management

Kelly Johnston, CAM with Martin Fein Interests

Grace Jones with Fogelman Management

Lori Lindley, CAPS with Greystar

Valerie Lacy, CAM Wood Residential

Sonia Lopez,
CAM, CAPS with Southhampton Management

Anson Kalber with
Monument Real Estate Services

Karen Nelsen,
CAM with Houston Housing Authority

Natalie Ripkowski with Tarantino Properties

Kristin Settles,
NALP, CAM with Relik Realty

Jo Swift with ComCapp

Richard Wall, CAM, CAPS with Concierge Asset Management

Loretta Wiley with SMI Realty

Corporate Marketing
and/or Training Director

Carina Bryars with
Greystar

Randi Cameron
with Lincoln Properties

Shannon Huskey, CAM with Southhampton Management

Mindi Kissling
with Windsor Communities

Nancy Lee
with Milestone Management

Vi Lewis, CAM with Eureka Multifamily Group

Joe Melton with Morgan Group

Samantha Miller with Oak Leaf Management

Merideth Savoie with The Dinerstein Companies (TDC)

Miguel Segura with ParaWest Management

Ashley Stenger
with Rockstar Capital Management

Administrative
Support Professional

Susie Capen with ComCapp

Kathleen Coddou, CAM, NALP with Mosaic Residential

Donna Farthing
with Greystar

Lacey Prieto with The Dinerstein Companies (TDC)

Chris Richardson Milestone Management

Lynn Vallone with Asset Plus Corp

Assistant Manager

Sabina Alvarez-Giles
with Camden Station, Oak Leaf Management

Joslin Aquino with The Millennium High Street, The
Dinerstein Companies (TDC)

Local Businesses Impacted by FloodingPlease notify the Central Fort Bend Chamber office at 281-342-5464 or cfbca@cfbca.org if your business or one that you know needs assistance due to direct flooding impact. Please provide details on name, location and specific flood-related needs of the business. Staff and Chamber members are anxious to provide support to those impacted by the area flooding. Additionally, the Central Fort Bend Chamber has information on SBA Federal Disaster loans for Business through the U.S. Small Business Association.

LCISD Common Threads:Lamar Consolidated ISD's Common Threads announced it's working with the Red Cross to accept donations for families in the areas affected by the Brazos River flooding. Due to the current situation, Common Threads is currently accepting donations of clothing for babies through adults. In addition to clothing, they are also accepting toiletries.Residents, churches, businesses and groups interested in helping the cause can contact Jill Davis at jdubin@lcisd.org or 832-223-0342.

Donations may be dropped off at any of the following locations:Common Threads (at Jane Long Elementary)710 Houston Street, Richmond 77469

AMERICAN RED CROSS: The American Red Cross has opened additional shelters to aid those impacted by severe rain and flooding throughout the Greater Houston area. They are requesting assistance through cash donations and volunteers.

Fort Bend County Shelter:First Baptist Church, 502 S. 5th St, Richmond, TX, 77469This shelter will be open 24 hours a day, providing a warm, dry place to stay, food and emotional support for area residents who are not able to remain at their homes due to storms and flooding.

FOR HELP: Those with flood-related needs are urged to call the American Red Cross at 1-866-526-8300.

PETS: The SPCA has partnered with the American Red Cross to help the pets of those seeking shelter. The SPCA will provide a Pet Setup for the pet of an owner who seeks shelter at an American Red Cross shelter. A setup includes a cage kennel, food and water bowls, and pet food. Thanks to the SPCA, dogs and cats are welcome at American Red Cross Shelters.

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED! Volunteers are greatly needed to staff shelters as well as distribute food and provide other services to Houston residents impacted by the floods. Training will be provided on site. Anyone interested in assisting this way is encouraged to go to redcross.org/volunteer.TO DONATE: The Texas Gulf Coast-and especially the Greater Houston area-has been hard hit by flooding in recent months. Donations are valued so the Red Cross can continue to offer services to those in need. If you wish to donate to flood relief, please go to redcross.org/donate.

Please stay safe, stay dry and follow the directions of all road closures as these are changing with each hour. You can obtain up to the minute flood impact information at www.fbcoem.org.

On the First Day of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, the City of Houston Offers Preparedness Tips

HOUSTON - The City of Houston Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is reminding Houstonians that Hurricane Season starts today, June 1st and runs through November 30th. Houstonians should take steps to begin the process of preparing.

Storms like Alison, Ike and Carla have all impacted Houston at various times throughout the season, so it's important to prepare now.

Steps to Prepare

OEM reminds Houstonians of the four emergency preparedness steps:

1) Make an Emergency Plan

Every Houston family should have an emergency plan that details where they will go in the event of an emergency. Those Houston families who live in a hurricane evacuation zone should know where they will go ahead of time and have an out-of-town contact to check-in with to make sure the family is able to communicate. A sample plan is available from Ready.gov.

Only those residents who either live in an evacuation zone, or who use a medical device which requires electricity to sustain their life should evacuate ahead of a storm. To find local evacuation zones, visit houstontx.gov/hurricanes and click on "Hurricane Evacuation". Houston residents who might need additional help in evacuating during a disaster can visit the OEM website to learn more about the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR), which is used by local agencies to identify those with disabilities and other needs, in an effort to provide better assistance to them ahead of, and after an emergency.

Residents should also know their level of risk ahead of a storm. The Houston Storm Risk Calculator (http://houstonstormrisk.org/#home) displays a map of hurricane risks from storm surge, flooding, wind and power outage down to the neighborhood level.

2) Have an Emergency Supply Kit

Houston residents should have what they need to be on their own for 5-7 days following a storm. This includes food, water, medications and individual needs such as medical devices or pet supplies. Additionally, its important to have tools, sturdy shoes and clothes to help in the immediate repair of your home following a storm.

The City's Disaster Preparedness Guide, which is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic and Urdu to Houston residents and businesses free by calling 311 or visiting houstonoem.org has a detailed list of what should be in your go kit, stay-at-home kit and vehicle kit.

3) Be Informed

Know where to go to get updated information, this includes local television and radio, as well as official websites such as:

During disasters, having a community around you that can help is essential to making it through. Meet your neighbors, and build a plan that includes sharing resources, such as generators, chainsaws and tools to prepare for, and respond to a hurricane.

]]>Greater Houston Storm Relief Fundhttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2459&blogid=171
As we have seen time and time again, horrific conditions unite people. When tragedy strikes, we respond with compassion, self sacrifice and generosity. Unity allows us to weather immediate disaster. When Houston was hit by historical flooding on April 18,]]>2016-05-02T11:49:40Z As we have seen time and time again, horrific
conditions unite people. When tragedy strikes, we respond with compassion,
self-sacrifice and generosity. Unity allows us to weather immediate
disaster.

When Houston was hit by historical flooding on April 18,
the Houston Apartment Association saw this as an opportunity to come together.
HAA Executive Vice President Jeff Hall took the initiative to reach out to HAA
board members to put together enough resources to help affected flood victims
and displaced residents. HAA donated $25,000 and 14 board member companies
including Camden who donated $10,000; Camp Construction who donated $7,000;
Greystar who donated $5,000; Dinerstein Companies who donated $5,000; Alliance
Residential who donated $4,000; Vesta Management Services who donated $3,000; J
Allen Management who donated $2,500; FSI Construction who donated $2,000;
Westdale who donated $1,500; Professional Apartment Services who donated
$1,500; SMI Realty who donated $1,500; Southhampton Management who donated
$1,500; Creative Property Management who donated $1,000; Jeff Hall who donated
$1,000; Liberty Group who donated $500; and Veritas Equity Management who donated $500.

On Friday, HAA President Alison Hall presented a
donation of $69,00 to the City of Houston, Mayor Sylvester Turner for the Greater
Houston Storm Relief Fund. Up-to-date donations from board member companies have reached $73,000.

“We applaud Mayor Turner for his leadership in
establishing the Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund, working effectively and
energetically with the community, including affected apartment owners, managers
and residents, and acting swiftly to help Houston recover and be as prepared as
possible for the next time,” HAA President Alison Hall said.

We expect to donate $100,000 on the behalf of HAA and
the multifamily industry through our wide membership base.

“This is just the beginning, not the end, of donations
from HAA member companies to the Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund,” Alison
Hall said. “We are encouraging all of our members to make a donation.”

Already, we have seen a huge turnout from our member companies - Reliant, an NRG Company donated $100,000 and Winthrop Management donated $200.

We're keeping a running tally of our industry's contributions. Email Mercedes at msanchez@haaonline.org when you made a donation. There is a lot of work to do and many flood victim residents to help, which we can make happen through this fund.

There is no better time for the multifamily industry
to come together to help support the many properties and residents that were
affected by such disaster.

The fund is currently supporting post-flood projects
for 17 apartment properties in Greenspoint containing 5,262 affected units.
That includes 1,943 units with flooding damage and 210 uninhabitable units. An
apartment becomes uninhabitable when six to seven feet of water enters a unit,
and will require more turn around time than those that require basic
renovations such as new carpeting or minor sheetrock repair.

Mayor Turner directed the City of Houston to do the
following to assist housing and personal needs of our flooded neighbors. The
city is housing 434 people in 141 hotel rooms whose apartments are now
uninhibatable, with the largest concentration at the Baymont Inn & Suites
in Greenspoint.

The city is working with apartment owners of the 17
properties with first floor damage and its inspectors to issue permits as
quickly as possible to make sure residents have a safe, clean and livable
space.

The City of Houston has contracted with Catholic Charities
to provide case management services to our hotel residents, helping coordinate
services for the daily needs of residents (food, medicine, etc). The
assessments of our caseworks will be vital in helping bring resources to
families who have lost most of their material possessions.

The City’s Health Department mobilized 124 employees and 65
volunteers for door to door assessments for families in the effected units. In
hitting 1,727 doors, the City of Houston is committed to the health and safety
of the residents remaining in units damaged by flood waters.

The Solid Waste Department continues to focus on heavy
debris pick up with an emphasis both on quality of life has well as public
health concerns such as mosquito breeding (Zikha virus) as well as to
facilitate a quicker clean up and repair of the effected complexes.

In the future, the city plans to coordinate with non-profits
providing services in the area, especially in the areas of furniture and
clothing donations, as provided by our case management needs assessments.

They have placed a special focus on seniors and the
disabled, which will be a focus of the Department of Neighborhoods in
coordination with other City of Houston departments.

In order to better address the long term needs caused
by flooding, the City of Houston will be naming a Flooding Czar to better
coordinate the various jurisdictions involved in mitigating the effect of heavy
rains and flooding.

]]>Rebuilding After a Floodhttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2457&blogid=171
Over 1,900 apartment units were affected by the recent flood. If you own or manage one of these properties, you are probably in the midst of rebuilding and you know that the permitting process can be a daunting one. The]]>2016-04-26T16:25:12Z

Over 1,900 apartment units were effected by the recent flood. If you own or manage one of those properties, you are probably in the midst of rebuilding and you know that the permitting process can be a daunting one. The Houston Apartment Association has been working with the City of Houston, and they want to ensure a smooth permitting process to get residents back in their units as soon as possible.

To guide you through this process the City has provided us with a Post-Storm Permitting guide, a sample of the building permit application for your review, a project cost estimate and their flood damage repair checklist.

When you go by the permitting center located at 1002 Washington Ave B1 in Houston, make sure to identify yourself as a flood affected property owner and they will help you through the process.

]]>Helping Flood Victimshttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2450&blogid=171
Harris County Community Services are assisting Mayor Turner in his effort to move people quickly. Any property owner wishing to step up and help house flood victims with their available housing, please contact Debbie Hayes at 713 578 2217. Many]]>2016-04-20T12:38:47ZHarris County Community Services are assisting Mayor Turner in his effort to move people quickly. Any property owner wishing to step up and help house flood victims with their available housing, please contact Debbie Hayes at 713-578-2217. Many of these residents have Section 8 Vouchers.

If you are not a property owner, but would like to help, donating money or volunteering is a great way to lend an extra hand. The Red Cross and the Salvation Army are taking donations. Sign up to volunteer on the Red Cross website or call 713-313-5491.

Acres Home (location
To be determined):
Monday, April 25th
Time: To be determined

Flood Preparedness:

If you are a resident of Harris County and you received
flooding of your residents, please go to www.readyharris.org. Click the Home
Flooding Report.

This will help us identify and assess damages required for
state and federal emergency funding.

Flood response and recovery efforts are well underway across
Harris County and the region.

At this time, relief benefits from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency are not available. A Presidential Declaration of Disaster has
not been issued. Harris County officials are working closely with State of
Texas officials to help complete federal disaster assistance requirements.
Please do not attempt to apply for federal relief benefits at this time.

Residents in need of information and resources related to
the recent flooding can call 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE. United
Way’s trained HELPLINE specialists are answering calls 24/7 to provide
information and referrals to storm-related resources drawn from our
comprehensive database of social services.

If you need assistance, it is available through one local call:
2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE.

Fire and police departments have a tremendous burden during
disasters. Over the past 36 hours they have performed more than 1,800 rescues
across Harris County and the region. In order to help them focus on life
threatening situations, public safety officials are asking residents to use
9-1-1 only for emergencies.

Repeated calls or calls for other issues make it more
difficult for dispatchers and responders to meet priority public safety needs.
This includes requests for transport from flooded homes and neighborhoods.

First responders are prioritizing assistance calls based on
need. Once 9-1-1 has been called, residents will need to be patient and wait
their turn. Additional requests for help through social media and other
channels will not result in faster service.

The Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency
Management continues to monitor weather and recovery activities. We will
provide additional information and public safety instructions as needed

]]>Emotional Support Animal Member Toolkithttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2448&blogid=171
I hope you guys enjoyed our “Assistance Animals Versus Pets” blog post. While we included guidance and tips (provided by attorney Jerry L. Carlton) for handling service animal requests, NAA has made it easier on property owners. Property owners are]]>2016-04-13T17:32:05ZI hope you guys enjoyed our “Assistance Animals Versus Pets”
blog post. While we included guidance and tips (provided by attorney Jerry L.
Carlton) for handling service animal requests, NAA has made it easier on
property owners.

Property owners are seeing a significant increase in
reasonable accommodations requests for emotional support animals. And, a lack
of clarity in the regulations opens the door for abuse and imposes an unfair
burden on property owners, undermining the intent of the Act to help those truly
in need of an emotional support animal.

In light of these concerns, NAA organized a working group of
members, affiliate staff and attorneys specializing in Fair Housing to advise
on resources that would help members navigate this complicated issue. They
compiled these resources into a toolkit that provides members with guidance on
how to address resident requests for an emotional support animal.

The toolkit
contains a fact sheet, which provides backgrounds and talking points for
affiliates to use with policymakers. It informs members on what NAA is doing to
address their concerns. The toolkit includes:

All relevant U.S. Department of Housing and HUD guidance

A document to answer frequently asked questions

A script that owners may distribute to their leasing staff
to ensure staff communicates with residents properly on this issue

Sample forms for residents that have been approved by HUD.

If you didn’t get your toolkit at the NAA Capitol Conference
in March, you can request one by contacting Nicole Upano, NAA, Manager,
Government Affairs at nupano@naahq.org.

]]>Annual Maintenance Mania Competition Draws 500 Members, Famiiliar Faceshttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2447&blogid=171
The 10th annual Maintenance Mania competition was held April 7th, drawing over 500 HAA members to compete and spectate. Several past winners made their mark once again in the competition, though some notable newcomers also got their moment in the]]>2016-04-11T11:30:41ZThe 10th annual Maintenance Mania
competition was held April 7th, drawing over 500 HAA members to compete
and spectate. Several past winners made their mark once again in the
competition, though some notable newcomers also got their moment in the
sun. Winners in the overall competition, as well as within the
individual categories are listed below. With any luck, if our top
competitor has the fastest time within NAA Region 6, they will represent HAA at the National competition in San Francisco this June.

Category

Place

Name

Mgmt. Co.

Total Time

National Championship
Qualifying Program

1st Place Overall

Jose Herrera

Gables Residential

1:52.065

2nd Place Overall

Rolando Valdez

WRH Realty

2:00.736

3rd Place Overall

Carlos Trevino

Gables Residential

2:17.886

4th Place Overall

Jose Rodriguez

Gables Residential

2:24.764

5th Place Overall

Jose Alvarado

Rockstar Capital Management LLC

2:25.895

6th Place Overall

Scott Levesque

Venterra Realty

2:28.791

7th Place Overall

Gerardo Luna

Gables Residential

2:29.678

8th Place Overall

Alonzo Zuniga

Gables Residential

2:32.84

9th Place Overall

Roger Burton

Venterra Realty

2:33.797

10th Place Overall

Scott Heffernan

Greystar

2:34.364

Water Heater

1st Place

Jose Herrera

Gables Residential

0:10.228

2nd Place

Roger Burton

Venterra Realty

0:11.113

3rd Place

Alvaro Bernal

Greystar

0:11.526

Faucet

1st Place

Scott Heffernan

Greystar

0:11.276

2nd Place

Rolando Valdez

0:11.894

3rd Place

Carlos Bonillo

Post Properties

0:12.907

Toilet

1st Place

Charlie Marquez

Alliance Residential Company

0:21.136

2nd Place

Jose Herrera

Gables Residential

0:21.950

3rd Place

Rolando Valdez

0:23.777

Icemaker

1st Place

Jose Herrera

Gables Residential

0:09.865

2nd Place

Jose Rodriguez

Gables Residential

0:11.071

3rd Place

Carlos Trevino

Gables Residential

0:11.171

Fire-CO Safety

1st Place

Rolando Valdez

0:10.441

2nd Place

Jose Alvarado

Rockstar Capital Management LLC

0:10.763

3rd Place

Jose Herrera

Gables Residential

0:11.002

Key Control

1st Place

Rolando Valdez

0:15.342

2nd Place

Abel Vences

Gaia Property Management

0:16.147

3rd Place

Carlos Trevino

Gables Residential

0:17.748

Ceiling Fan

1st Place

Jose Herrera

Gables Residential

0:21.026

2nd Place

Rolando Valdez

0:22.917

3rd Place

Martin Yanez

Post Properties

0:24.578

Race Car

1st Place

Scott Heffernan

Greystar

0:04.496

2nd Place

Carl Hoehn

Milestone Management

0:04.533

3rd Place

Scott Levesque

Venterra Realty

0:04.571

]]>HAA Property Spotlighthttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2443&blogid=171
2016-04-08T13:06:18ZSMI Properties celebrated Easter with a basket full of activities for children at Braeswood Oaks Apartments and Woodcreek of NW Crossing. Here at HAA, we are looking for events such as this one to build our new initiative called HAA Property Spotlight, which is focused on highlighting community-building love and positivity throughout the multifamily, apartment industry. Submit your photos along with a brief description of your event or activity to comm@haaonline.org for your HAA Property Spotlight recognition.

Woodcreek of Northwest Crossings:

Braeswood Apartments:

]]>New HUD Guidance on using criminal historyhttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2437&blogid=171
On April 4, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued this guidance on the use of criminal records by housing providers. The guidance adds some clarity to the "disparate impact" theory that a policy can violate the Fair]]>2016-04-07T15:08:32ZOn April 4, the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development issued this guidance on the use of criminal records by housing
providers.

The guidance adds some clarity
to the "disparate impact" theory that a policy can violate the Fair
Housing Act, even if the intent of the policy is not discriminatory. The
guidance makes it clear you can't have a "we won't rent to anybody who's
ever been convicted of anything" policy, but that housing providers can
craft a policy that takes into account the nature and severity of a crime, and
how long it's been since it occurred.

HAA General Counsel Howard Bookstaff has
prepared this article on the guidance, and what apartment owners and
managers should do.]]>Assistance Animals Versus Pets: The difference and how to battle the differencehttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2432&blogid=171
Assistance animals provide a better quality of life to people with disabilities so it’s important for residents to have the right to request appropriate accommodations from property owners. People falsely passing off pets as assistance animals are jeopardizing the right]]>2016-03-31T13:07:10Z

Assistance animals provide a better quality of life to
people with disabilities so it’s important for residents to have the right to
request appropriate accommodations from property owners. People falsely passing
off pets as assistance animals are jeopardizing the right people with
disabilities have to own assistance animals. All the while, property owners are
being forced to battle the difference.

So what is the difference? Pets, well, pets are our friends,
companions and they’re our family members. They’re our children, our pride and
joys, and we often feel like we cannot live without them. However, technically
speaking, for those of us who aren’t mentally, intellectually or
developmentally disabled in any way, can function without them.

Assistance animals are not pets – they work, provide
assistance or perform a specially trained task for a person with a disability
or multiple disabilities or provide
emotional support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of
a person’s disability. Assistant Animals include: service animals, emotional
support animals, companion animals, therapy animals and comfort animals.

The Internet has made a lot of things easier, such as
turning beloved pets into certified assistance animals. Yes, that means your
resident’s pet snake Fred can be an emotional support snake for a small dollar
amount, no questions asked. This new Internet trend is becoming a serious issue
for people with legitimate disabilities
and property owners alike.

For a news story, NBC KXAN News out of Austin tested one of
the websites to see how easy it really is. They uploaded a picture of
Scooby-Doo, entered the name “Scooby,” and paid. The ID soon came in the mail.
ABC WJLA out of Washington also reported that they uploaded a photo of a stuffed
dog and received their ID in the mail as well.

The truth is many people with disabilities need assistance
animals. Another truth is people are abusing the Fair Housing laws to falsely
pass their pets as assistance animals and because of this, property owners need
to exercise they’re rights to intercept the bad guys from getting away with
this.

Let’s face it – you aren’t taking your resident’s emotional
support ferret seriously. It might seem odd, but regardless of whether your
resident has a disability or the resident just can’t say goodbye to its fur
baby, property owners must make an accommodation if and only if: the animal
doesn’t pose a safety or health threat to other residents, the animal wouldn’t
cause substantial physical damage to the property (that cannot be reduced or
eliminated by another reasonable accommodation), the resident has a legitimate,
verifiable disability and if the animal is necessary as an accommodation to the
resident’s disability.

If a disability isn’t obvious, property owners may lawfully
request verification from amedical professional, including proof of
a resident’s disability, confirmation that the assistance animal is necessary
alleviate said disability and lastly, said disability must meet the American’s
with Disabilities Act’s definition of a disability (defined below).

A disability is defined by the Fair Housing act as: a
physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life
activity.

Service animals are exclusive to dogs only and most
importantly, includes all breeds. So no, it does not matter if you prohibit pitbulls
on your property or if your insurance policy prohibits pitbulls, if your
resident owns a pitbull service animal, you must make an accommodation.

Even if your insurance policy prohibits certain breeds, you
still might have to make an accommodation, especially if you can switch to a
comparable insurance that doesn’t include the restriction. You’ll have to
research your insurance company to figure that out.

In addition, according to the Fair Housing law, service
animals do not require a pet deposit.

Legitimate service animals are highly trained animals.
Meaning, the likeliness that a service animal would cause harm to your
residents or damage to your property is very slim. However, there will be cases
you as a property owner and your staff members will have to face that involve under-the-counter
service animals and they might pose complications. Because of this, it’s
important for you and your staff to understand the law and get trained.

HAA’s suggestion, provided by Jerry L. Carlton attorney for
Glast, Phillips & Murray P.C., is to avoid saying no if you are unsure.
Explain to your resident or potential resident that you will follow up with him
or her, you’re not cleared to make that decision and that your property does
provide reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities as required by
law.

So what exactly is a reasonable accommodation? It’s defined
by Fair Housing as, a change, exception or adjustment to a rule, policy,
practice, or service that may be necessary for a person with a disability to
have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling, including public and
common use spaces.

Lets get technical: An applicant or resident must request
accommodation to be entitled to one. There is no particular form or method (so
yes, an oral request works) and while formal procedures are professional, you
cannot require a resident to turn in a form as a request. However, Carlton does
suggest documenting the request in writing, even oral requests. An applicant or
resident does not have to use the exact language, he or she simply must request
in a way that a reasonable person would understand is a request for an
exception, change, adjustment to a rule, policy, practice or service because of
a disability. Also, someone such as an attorney, friend or family member can
request on their behalf.

]]>HAA Lyceum Heads to City Hallhttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2431&blogid=171
Our Leadership Lyceum group attended a city council meeting at City Hall this morning. They met with councilman Jerry Davis and councilwoman Amanda Edwards, saw Mayor Sylvester Turner in action when pressed with pushback from the council and learned about]]>2016-03-24T08:52:07ZOur Leadership Lyceum group attended a city council meeting
at City Hall yesterday morning. They met with councilman Jerry Davis and
councilwoman Amanda Edwards, saw Mayor Sylvester Turner in action when pressed
with pushback from the council and learned about the importance our industry’s
political presence from HAA Vice President of Public Affairs Andy Teas.

So, what is the HAA Leadership Lyceum group and why would
they go to a city council meeting?

HAA strives to incubate leaders within our industry. Through
the Leadership Lyceum group, we educate and develop high-caliber industry
professionals to carry out the HAA mission.

Here at HAA, we do a lot for the multifamily industry, but
our central and most vital role is to monitor, support and defend government
action as it impacts our industry, residents, property owners, suppliers and
more.

Our HAA Better Government Fund Political Action Committee works hard to defend the
industry against threats that would make construction, ownership and management
of apartment properties more difficult and expensive. As the leading advocate
for the multifamily industry, Teas and Public Affairs Specialist Mercedes
Hernandez lobby government decisions that benefit our industry on the local,
state and national levels. They have established a strong political presence
for the multifamily industry and strong relationships with top government
officials.

Thanks to the PAC lead by Teas and Hernandez, HAA has won many
times. We have defeated legislation requiring owners to rent
to criminals making assisted housing mandatory and creating lengthy delays in
residential evictions. Local attempts to hold property owners accountable for
the criminal action of others and to inspect individual apartments without warrants
have been defeated as well.

Support them by joining the HAA Better Government Fund PAC here: https://www.haaonline.org/uploadedFiles/bgf_membership_form.pdf.

]]>March on Crimehttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2426&blogid=171
HAA is proud to have sponsored the Southwest Management District March On Crime luncheon at Houston Baptist University. Pictured in the photo above are (from left) board member Rick Ogden, board chair Kenneth Li, board member Don Wang, deputy]]>2016-03-16T16:53:27Z

HAA is proud to have sponsored the Southwest Management
District March On Crime luncheon at Houston Baptist University.

A number of Houston Police Department officers were honored
for their invaluable commitment to protecting the southwest area of Houston. March
On Crime is a program that started 30 years ago in an effort to engage
community involvement in policing.

In the last year, crime rates have dropped in the southwest
area according to Executive Assistant Chief George T. Buenik. The HPD is
continuing to emphasize the need for community involvement.

Buenik spoke about the addition of body cameras to their
equipment, which the officers will be trained on starting next month. Body
cameras promote community trust and consequently community participation.

HPD is anticipating hiring about 180 new officers within the
first six months of 2016.

]]>City Council Conscience: Houston Recycling Limbohttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2418&blogid=171
Because of the city budget’s fiscal constraints, Mayor Sylvester Turner and the City Council have refused to renew a single family recycling contract with Waste Management that bears drastically higher fees than the deal that expires next week. In]]>2016-03-10T10:33:13Z

Because of the city budget’s fiscal constraints, Mayor
Sylvester Turner and the City Council have refused to renew a single-family recycling
contract with Waste Management that bears drastically higher fees than the deal
that expires next week. In turn, Waste Management rejected the mayor’s attempt to
be financially responsible through a one-year deal and a one-year renewal, as
opposed to the four-year deal.

Translation: Come next Thursday, March 16, Houston will be
without a recycling contract.

“I support recycling but we have to do what is consistent
with the financial status and in such a way that is a win, win for this city,”
the mayor said.

To the citizens of Houston, it seems like there has been a
lot of back and forth banter between the mayor and the council and the mayor
and Waste Management. Two weeks ago, the expiring contract was on the agenda to
be renewed, which the council didn’t seem to be aware of causing frustration
towards the mayor. Considering the financial condition of Houston, the mayor tagged
the item to next week to come up with a plan in the mean time. Last week
however, the item was tagged again to Wednesday.

While all of this tagging was going on, the mayor and Waste
Management were negotiating through an e-mail thread, and it appears that
neither party can come to an agreement. Therefore, we’re stuck in recycling
limbo.

With commodities prices plunging, Waste Management has been
renegotiating contracts with cities all over the U.S. – not just with Houston.
With the city facing a projected $126 million budget deficit that must be
closed by July, it’s the cost that has paused the mayor and the council. It’s
just a coincidental tragedy that both parties are facing financial problems.

“Everyone supports you in this horseshoe. We need to start
emphasizing competitive bidding, “ Councilman Greg Travis said to Mayor Turner,
“We are all pro-recycling.”

The council was blatantly appreciative of the mayor for
challenging Waste Management, instead of taking the easy road and renewing thus
forcing a financial burden on the city and its taxpayers.

"I anticipate recycling continuing," Mayor Turner
said. "We may, instead of it being like twice a month, it may have to be
once a month for right now, but we are certainly talking to a number of other
players out here in the marketplace. We're going to try to avoid any lapse, or
any long-term lapses."

“We are looking at all options and encouraging all players
to come forth. We are not tied to anyone,” he said.

The mayor plans to announce Monday his plan for the
recycling program. We may see
other recycling companies become involved.

Councilman Mike Knox urges citizens that this contract
pertains to the services of recycling (such as, curbside pickup) and that the
other areas of recycling will not be affected.

-- Morgan Taylor

Writer/Editor

mtaylor@haaonline.org

]]>HAA Internship Opportunityhttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2405&blogid=171
Communications and Public Affairs Intern Summer 2016, Fall 2016 semesters The Houston Apartment Association is a professional trade association that serves individuals and businesses involved in the ownership, construction, management, maintenance and operation of apartments and other rental dwellings in]]>2016-03-03T15:55:43Z

Communications and Public Affairs
Intern

Summer 2016

HAA is recruiting for our Summer 2016 Internship Program! We are seeking a driven professional with a interest in government affairs and communications to join the HAA team.

The Houston Apartment Association is a professional
trade association that serves individuals and businesses involved in the
ownership, construction, management, maintenance and operation of apartments
and other rental dwellings in the Houston area. The association serves members in Austin, Brazoria, Chambers,
Colorado, Fort Bend, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, San Jacinto,
Waller and Wharton counties. See www.haaonline.org for more information.

The
Communications Department is responsible for the design, editorial content and
production of ABODE magazine, HAA’s flagship publication, which comprises 80
full-color pages per month of relevant editorial for owner/management and
supplier members of the association. This publication drives content for the
HAA Blog, a responsibility shared with the Public Affairs Division.
Communications is also responsible for the design, production and delivery of
the association’s printed promotions, graphics, logos, specialty items, signage
and more.

The
Public Affairs Division is responsible for interaction with elected officials,
researching and obtaining information relative to apartment regulations and
interaction with city and county officials, managing public outreach programs
and partnerships, managing contracts related to public relations
consultants/efforts, planning and executing Better Government Fund Political
Action Committee activities, as well as reporting and fundraising. This
department also provides updates via the HAA Blog, HAA’s Twitter account and
other social media channels.

Responsibilities of Intern

Researching
selected topics

Distilling
research into user-friendly content for association use

Contacting, scheduling
and interviewing selected industry sources

Transcribing and
writing feature and supporting articles

Assisting in
production of magazine/promotions

Assisting in
updating website resources for members

Corresponding
with elected officials or other individuals on behalf of the association

Assisting with
photography activities as needed

Assisting with
other association activities as needed

Attending
selected association events

Assist with other
tasks as assigned

Requirements

A major in
journalism, public relations, corporate communications, English, etc.

Should receive university/college
credit for internship, if appropriate

Dedication of at
least 12 hours per week on site at HAA (minimum total of 100 hours expected)

This internship is a PAID internship. An
end of the semester, a stipend of up to $1,000 will be awarded for successful
fulfillment of the internship.

Intern reports primarily to Mercedes Sanchez, Public Affairs Specialist.
To apply, please send a resume and three writing samples (demonstration of
ability to use AP style preferred) to Mercedes Sanchez at msanchez@haaonline.org. ]]>City Council Conscience: Trash Talkhttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2400&blogid=171
2016-02-24T14:27:08ZThis is the first
of a new blog series by HAA highlighting Houston’s City Council meetings.
Mercedes Sanchez, who represents HAA on government and legislative affairs, will be
assisting with this series.

Today, the city of Houston presented a proclamation to Navy
personnel from the USS Houston, which is to be decommissioned. USS Houston
commander said there are a few nuclear subs that are set up for tours.

In other news, the council addressed an apparent major issue
in Houston: recycling.

Recycling is typically a no brainer for city officials,
however, with our general fund in bad shape, as mayor Sylvester Turner said and
the contract ending in a bad market, it’s a topic that is requiring a little
bit more brain power than usual.

The current contract Houston has with Waste Management will
expire on March 2, and with commodities prices at lows not seen since the 2009
recession, Waste Management has been dropping or renegotiating its contracts
with Houston and many other cities. Let’s just say the new contract Waste Management
has offered is expensive and a little out of our city’s general fund budget.

"We must consider each tax payer dollar on where to spend," Mayor Turner said.

Houston is currently pushing 5,400 tons of recycled matter
to the curb each month. If current commodities hold, city officials project the
cost to the city will be more than $3 million per year. Lets take a deeper look
at the terms of our past contract versus our projected contract.

Until March, Waste Management would resell the recycles,
deduct $65 for processing and give 70 percent of the remaining revenue to the
city. If the firm's costs exceeded the fee the city paid, Waste Management dealt
with the difference. Those terms meant the city could make $25 per ton two
years ago, when recyclables were bringing $100 per ton.

If City Council approves the new deal, the city next month
will begin paying $95 per ton for processing. With commodities now earning $48
a ton, each ton will cost Houston almost $50.

That's almost double what it would cost to haul recycled
items to the landfill, where the tipping fee is $27 per ton.

Councilman At Large Mike Knox suggested suspending recycling
until it becomes financially feasible.

While this new contract is wildly out of budget, Mayor
Turner made it clear that recycling will not slip into extinction. But, a tight
budget has surfaced another issue here: layoffs. Mayor Turner warned that
layoffs will be needed to close a projected $126 million budget gap by July, which
is why there is talk amongst the panel of quitting recycling altogether.

“We are looking for ways to maintain and reduce the cost. We
want recycling in our city,” Mayor Turner said. “The alternative isn’t pretty.
We are exploring ways to offset the cost.”

Councilman Jerry Davis fears the suspension or the
termination of recycling. His northeastern Houston district is a hub for landfill sites
and emphasized the negative health and environmental outcomes landfills
present. He threw this scary statistic out: Municipal solid waste dumpsites
have 21 percent higher potency than carbon monoxide.

The council will come to a decision by next meeting, as they
decided to tag (delay for one week) this item.

-- Morgan Taylor

Copywriter/Editor

]]>HAA Better Government Fund PAC Endorsements - 2016 Primary Electionshttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2391&blogid=171
Early voting for the Texas March 1, 2016 primary elections is a week away, early voting will take place from February 16 to February 26. You can find early voting locations by using the website votetexas.gov under the Am]]>2016-02-08T16:04:19Z

Early voting for the Texas March 1, 2016 primary elections is a week away, early voting will take place from February 16 to February 26.

You can find early voting locations by using the website votetexas.gov under the Am I Registered? tab. By entering your date of birth and name under the selection criteria you can find information such as your voter status, poll location, early voting locations, and key election dates. You can also contact the Early Voting Clerk for State and County Elections in your county. For Harris County you can visit here. It doesn't get any easier than that!

The Houston Apartment Association Better Government Fund PAC members have made their 2016 Primary Elections endorsements.

Candidate

Office

Ted Poe

Congressional
District 2

John Culberson

Congressional
District 7

Kevin Brady

Congressional
District 8

Al Green

Congressional
District 9

Michael T. McCaul

Congressional
District 10

Sheila Jackson Lee

Congressional
District 18

Pete Olson

Congressional
District 22

Gene Green

Congressional
District 29

Brian Babin

Congressional
District 36

Brandon Creighton

Texas State
Senate District 4

Sylvia Garcia

Texas State
Senate District 6

Paul Bettencourt

Texas State
Senate District 7

Larry Taylor

Texas State
Senate District 11

Rodney Ellis

Texas State
Senate District 13

John Whitmire

Texas State
Senate District 15

Joan Huffman

Texas State
Senate District 17

Lois W. Kolkhorst

Texas State
Senate District 18

Kevin Roberts

State
Representative District 126

Dan Huberty

State
Representative District 127

Wayne Smith

State
Representative District 128

Dennis Paul

State
Representative District 129

Tom Oliverson

State
Representative District 130

Alma Allen

State
Representative District 131

Mike Schofield

State
Representative District 132

Jim Murphy

State
Representative District 133

Sarah Davis

State
Representative District 134

Gary Elkins

State
Representative District 135

Gene Wu

State
Representative District 137

Dwayne Bohac

State
Representative District 138

Armando Walle

State
Representative District 140

Sefronia Thompson

State
Representative District 141

Harold V. Dutton

State
Representative District 142

Ana Hernandez

State
Representative District 143

Gilbert Pena

State
Representative District 144

Carol Alvarado

State
Representative District 145

Borris Miles

State
Representative District 146

Garnet Coleman

State
Representative District 147

Jessica Farrar

State
Representative District 148

Huber Vo

State
Representative District 149

Debbie Riddle

State
Representative District 150

Ron Hickman

Sheriff

Mike Sullivan

Tax
Assessor/Collector

Steve Radack

County
Commissioner Pct. 3

Eric Carter

Justice of the
Peace Pct. 1 Pl. 1

Jo Ann Delgado

Justice of the
Peace Pct. 2 Pl. 1

Joe Stephens

Justice of the
Peace Pct. 3 Pl. 1

Lincoln Goodwin

Justice of the
Peace Pct. 4 Pl. 1

Russ Ridgway

Justice of the
Peace Pct. 5 Pl. 1

Richard Vara

Justice of the
Peace Pct. 6 Pl. 1

Hilary Green

Justice of the
Peace Pct. 7 Pl. 1

Holly Williamson

Justice of the
Peace Pct. 8 Pl. 1

Alan Rosen

Constable Pct.
1

Christopher Diaz

Constable Pct.
2

Mark Herman

Constable Pct.
4

Ted Heap

Constable Pct.
5

Heliodoro Martinez

Constable Pct.
6

May Walker

Constable Pct.
7

Phil Sandlin

Constable Pct.
8

Clyde Leuchtag

County Civil
Court at Law No. 1

Rusty Fincher

Constable Pct.
1 (Montgomery County)

Gene DeForest

Constable Pct.
2 (Montgomery County)

Kenneth Rowdy Hayden

Constable Pct.
4 (Montgomery County)

If you would like to be part of HAA's endorsement process you can join the HAA Better Government Fund PAC by submitting the 2016 registration form to msanchez@haaonline.org. If you have any question about the HAA Better Government Fund PAC you can find more information here.

]]>2016 State of the Industry Breakfast Draws Record Crowdhttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2380&blogid=171
Two hundred and sixty industry professionals packed the Hilton Post Oak Hotel this morning to hear from a panel of industry veterans and insiders regarding market conditions.]]>2016-01-26T17:14:13ZTwo-hundred and sixty industry professionals packed the Hilton Post Oak Hotel this morning to hear from a panel of industry veterans and insiders regarding market conditions and developmental trends in the year ahead. In addition to insightful commentary from Ric Campo, Camden; Stacy Hunt, Greystar; and Cyrus Bahrami, Alliance Residential, attendees heard statistical analysis on job growth, oil prices and market rents from Patrick Jankowski, the Greater Houston Partnership; and Bruce McClenny, Apartment Data.com.

]]>WHAM! Round up the posse and know the new Texas handgun lawshttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2359&blogid=171
On January 1, 2016, the new state law that allows qualified Texans to obtain a license to carry a handgun will also allow them to “open carry” handguns in holsters. ]]>2015-12-23T09:51:32ZOn January 1, 2016, the new state law that allows qualified Texans to obtain a license to carry a handgun will also allow them to “open carry” handguns in holsters. You, as a rental property owner, can decide whether or not your tenant can participate in “open carry” or “concealed carry” and if so, designate areas on property. However, with this responsibility, you will need to follow specific guidelines and provide notice in accordance with the Texas Law.

Here are some resources that may assist you in crafting policies for your properties:

Stay in the know with new and existing legislative issues by joining the HAA Better Government Fund PAC. The 2016 registrations forms and more information on HAA BGF PAC can be found here.

]]>WHAM! If you don't do politics, politics will do you.https://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2354&blogid=171
Supporting candidates that support the apartment industry has never been more important, and our political efforts have never been so important.]]>2015-12-16T13:25:37ZSupporting candidates that support the apartment industry has never been more important, and our political efforts have never been so important.

In 2016, Houston faces critical choices – electing new members to Congress, to the Texas Legislature and to scores of county offices. Two Harris County Justices of the Peace – possibly the most critical elected position for the apartment industry – are retiring this year. Electing new JP’s who will follow the law and the lease is paramount.

The HAA Better Government Fund is our industry’s voice in government. We need your participation and dollars to keep that voice strong.

]]>WHAM! Join your HAA Better Government Fund PAC & stay in the knowhttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2349&blogid=171
HAA teams up with TAA on a regular basis to advocate on behalf of the apartment industry at the state level. There is great importance in being involved with your HAA Better Government Fund (HAABGF) Political Action Committee (PAC). This]]>2015-12-09T15:29:26ZHAA teams up with TAA on a regular basis to advocate on behalf of the apartment industry at the state level. There is great importance in being involved with your HAA Better Government Fund (HAABGF) Political Action Committee (PAC). This past year during the 2015 state legislation, TAA and HAA were:

Able to prevent properties from being forced into the Section 8 voucher program

Protect owners from lengthy eviction appeals

Level the playing field for property owners when dealing with appraisals and taxation

Your involvement in the HAABGF PAC allows us to assist TAA in advocacy.

TAA has already begun screening candidates for the 2016 state elections. TAA regularly submits “friend of the court” briefs in matters before various appellate courts – including a case being heard now that involves a provision in the TAA lease Contract – the same contract HAA residents sign – about the extent residents can be held responsible for damages to their apartments. These are just a few of the many advocacy efforts HAA and TAA take on your behalf.

The HAABGF PAC is the venue that HAA uses to represent and advocate for the multifamily industry interests with elected officials. With the primaries around the corner, your financial contribution is needed. The main source of funds to the BGF PAC is through our membership dues. The 2016 HAA Better Government Fund PAC membership form is available now, you can sign-up here if you're an owner/manager or here if you are a supplier.

Not only do we need to raise funds but we also need your time at the monthly BGF luncheon meetings. Through these meetings you will learn more about the local, state, and federal level political climate. We also inform our members of the many changes proposed by our government and the implications it has on our industry. It’s a forum for you to express your concerns on laws and regulations imposed on you which allows us to better help advocate for you.

Your involvement does matter and there will always be ongoing advocacy HAA will do for the apartment industry, regardless if we are in an election season or not.

For more information or to become an RCR subscriber, contact Tina DeFiore at tdefiore@haaonline.org.]]>WHAM! A spark could be enough to set them ablazehttps://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2344&blogid=171
With the holidays among us, it’s important to always remember to take safety measures. Talk to your residents about proactive ways to prevent fires this holiday season.Last December, Houston had 10 apartment fires. It is very important]]>2015-12-02T10:42:48Z

With the holidays among us, it’s important to always remember to take safety measures. Talk to your residents about proactive ways to prevent fires this holiday season.

Last December, Houston had 10 apartment fires. It is very important to educate residents of the importance of renters insurance and encourage them to obtain the insurance as many do not know that their individual belongings are not protected by the apartment’s insurance.

Most importantly, we must promote renters insurance that offers protection from fire. Renters insurance is relatively affordable and covers not only the loss of personal belongings but can also offer liability protection if it’s a resident that caused the fire.

In addition to having insurance that protects your resident’s belongings, please encourage them to also keep in mind simple safety tips while celebrating the holiday season.

Part of the Christmas spirit is not only decorations but also creating an ambiance through scents. Fires are commonly started by the improper use of candles. It is vital to keep the burning candle within sight and away from kids and pets. Remember to keep candles at least 12 inches from things that can burn. There are many alternatives to candles, including plug-ins for scents or battery operated flameless candles.

With the cold weather upon us, space heaters become popular among our residents. Unfortunately, they can pose significant fire and electric shock hazards if not used properly. Heating equipment is the second leading cause of home fires in the United States and residents must be careful how they use them.

Remind your residents to inspect heaters for cracked or broken plugs or loose connections before each use. If frayed, worn or damaged, they should not use the heater. Also, a space heater should never be left unattended. It must always be turned off when leaving the room or going to sleep. Once again, don't let pets or children play too close to a space heater.

Many leases prohibit the use of candles and space heaters. If your property prohibits the use of these devices don’t forget to remind your residents. Many times tenants forget or they are just not aware.

Make sure you have an open line of communication with your tenants to ensure they are aware of what they can and cannot use to decorate during the holidays.

A proactive approach to safety will help you give the gift of safety to your residents this holiday season!

]]>WHAM! Don’t miss the City of Houston runoff election, there won't be another local election until 2019https://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2340&blogid=171
2015-11-17T16:12:01Z

The first part of the 2015 Houston election season has concluded, but the elections are far from over. The runoffs are set for December 12, so don’t forget to go back out to the polls!

Many Houstonians came out on November 3rd for the 2015 local elections to vote for a new mayor, city council and city controller as well as new local, county and state propositions. Those results can be found on a previous blog here.

Early voting will start soon and it’ll run from December 2 to December 8. To find a voting location near you go to harrisvotes.com. You'll be able to early vote during these hours:

December 2 — December 5 from 7:00a.m. to 7:00p.m.December 6 from 1:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.December 7—December 8 from 7:00a.m. to 7:00p.m.

Election Day is scheduled for December 12, voting locations have not been decided, but will be determined soon. Once it has been determined, it will be posted online at harrisvotes.org.

Now that the races have been narrowed it is more important than ever to get to know the candidates. Another vote will be required from Houstonians to finalize who our local elected officials will be for the next four years – proposition 2 extended the length of terms for elected officials in Houston from three 2-year terms to two 4-year terms. This extends the total years served from 6 years to 8 years in office.

There are nine runoff elections, and you will have to vote for a Council Member running in the district you live in. If you do not know which Council District you’re in, click here.

Here are the candidates that HAA is endorsing for the runoffs, incumbent candidates are marked with (i):

The advocacy of HAA is ongoing and with 2016 just a handful of weeks away, it is important to fill out your 2016 HAA Better Government Fund (HAABGF) PAC membership form. The advocacy during the 2015 legislative period was huge, with many of the new Texas laws set to activate January 1, 2016. If you do not know what the new laws will be, click here for a previous blog post on them.

As these laws are being enforced continued support of the HAABGF PAC will be needed, if you did not sign up in 2015, that’s OK, you can sign up now for 2016 here.

]]>New phone bank record set.https://www.haaonline.org/Blog.aspx?id=2336&blogid=171
2015-11-13T14:16:48ZThere were 24 volunteers answering calls as well as HAA’s Director of Resident Relations, Matilde Luna. Phones were set up at the KHOU 11 studios and volunteers received calls for a three hour period during the KHOU 11 evening news broadcast.

HAA volunteers answered calls ranging from security deposit issues, parking, evictions etc. Of the callers who called in, maintenance issues were the number one topic.

Special thank you to all the volunteers who took time out of their schedule to answer renters rights questions for Houstonians; making this the most successful phone bank held by HAA.